We are pleased to welcome Kiffi Ford has joined our Employment and Labor Group in the Lansing office.

Ford's practice focuses on representing employers in litigation, arbitration and the alternative dispute resolution process. She advises employers in pre-litigation investigations, strategy and negotiation, and reduction-in-force issues.

She also served as the executive director of legal services for Sparrow Health System, where she was responsible for managing the legal department's operations and personnel, and providing counsel and strategic guidance to the health system's leadership, with particular focus on labor relations, collective bargaining and compliance matters.

We are pleased to welcome Lawrence García to Miller Canfield's Employment and Labor Group! García comes to Miller Canfield from the City of Detroit, where he served as Corporation Counsel from January 2018 to November 2021. As he said while announcing the move to Miller Canfield on LinkedIn, "I knew the experience (with the City of Detroit) would allow me to expand the breadth of my knowledge of the law, improve my leadership skills, and deepen relationships with city and regional stakeholders."

Andrew Blum, Robert DeJong, Joseph Infante, Michael Moore, Amanda Rauh-Bieri and Trent Taylor have been recognized on the Grand Rapids Business Journal's Top Lawyers 2022 list.

Published annually, the list is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the Grand Rapids area. 

We're on the move in the Windy City!

We're pleased to announce that our Chicago office has moved to The Franklin, a prestigious location in the city's West Loop. Our new address is 227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3600, Chicago IL 60606, and the firm's Chicago phone numbers will remain unchanged, including our main office line: +1.312.460.4200.

As The Franklin's website states: "The Franklin is perfectly poised to access all of Chicago, only a few minutes’ walk from both Metra stations and the CTA at the edge of both downtown and the thriving West Loop." Building amenities include a wellness and fitness center with a mother's room; the breathtaking Sky Lobby; and dining options including Starbucks, Sopraffina, Amazon GO, and Rustle + Roux.

Congratulations to Miller Canfield attorneys Timothy D. Kroninger, Nashara Peart, Wendy Richards and Marc Swanson, who have been recognized for their contributions to pro bono in 2021 by the Detroit Bar Association.

Pro Bono awardees are Detroit Bar members who contributed 30 hours of pro bono work from Nov. 1, 2020, through Oct. 31, 2021, by volunteering for the Detroit Legal Services Clinic or for one of the many pro bono opportunities listed on the Detroit Bar Gateway. They are recognized at the association’s annual Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award Gala, which was held on Nov. 18.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that CEO Megan Norris was named on the Crain's Detroit Business 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan list, which is published once every five years.

The list includes leaders in state and federal government, nonprofits and some of Michigan's largest and most impactful businesses, who are selected based on the significance of their contributions and level of impact in their communities and businesses.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that we have earned U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Firms in America" national rankings in 13 practice areas, as well as 95 metropolitan rankings in 51 practice areas.

We are pleased to welcome Malaika Caldwell to our Corporate and Transactions Group. Based in Chicago, Malaika's practice focuses on employee benefits, executive compensation and employment law. She provides clients with operational and administrative support related to health and welfare benefits, including the design of welfare benefit offerings and the drafting of cafeteria plan and wrap plan documents, summary plan descriptions and enrollment materials and notices.

She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and Elmhurst College.

We are pleased to announce that Kyra Sims has joined our Trusts and Estates practice as an associate attorney in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Kyra comes to Miller Canfield from Bank of Ann Arbor, where she was an assistant vice president and trust officer, managing personal trust accounts and estates and administering irrevocable life insurance trusts. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. She serves on the boards of the Ann Arbor YMCA and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority and is a member of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation's Network of Professional Advisors.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that for the fourth year in a row, we have earned the designation of Mansfield Certified Plus, making us the only Michigan-headquartered firm and one of just 92 nationwide to meet the criteria in 2021.

Firms earn Mansfield certification by demonstrating that at least 30 percent of people affirmatively considered for firm governance positions, promotions and lateral-hire opportunities are women and attorneys from underrepresented groups, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ and attorneys with disabilities. To earn Mansfield Certified Plus, firms must not only consider women and people who are from underrepresented groups, but they must meet the goal of at least 30% representation in leadership roles.